Perfection
by Ella Unlimited
Summary: His goal is to be perfect. The best looks, the best brains, the best future- all to impress. That was all life was- or so he thought. In one week, she manages to open his eyes to a new world, one where perfection isn't everything. SethxOC JackxAlex
1. Stop

Prologe:

The girl smiled, curled up innocently in her mother's lap like a 5 year old, though she had just celebrated her 17th a few weeks ago. An excited smile graced her lips as her slender fingers poked and prodded at an odd machine; watching as with each slight noise, or light that suddenly blinked, her eyes glowed with wonder.

Suddenly, it shut off. The small contraption turning off every button, light, and noise that it had been emitting earlier. She frowned and poked at it again, turning to her mom who just looked at her with mild confusion.

Then, as quickly as it had turned off, everything flipped back on. It began whirling and lights flickered. The young woman gave a little yelp when it burned her arm, and tossed it on the hardwood floor of their living room.

Every light in the house turned off, leaving the family in darkness. Her father yelling for them over the increasing sound. She screamed when the blue light filled the room, burying her face in her mother's shoulder and clawing at her father's arm as he stood in front of his wife and child.

The lights turned on. The handheld stopped. Everything was back to normal. Except one thing.

There were two teenagers standing in the middle of a small crater in the middle of their living room. Their bodies still smoking from the transport. The female smiled, putting an arm on the Male's shoulder.

"We are back,"

_A/N: Yes, I have returned. The Great ELLA! Haha, not really. Sorry about the wait. This is the Prologue, thus the shortness. Hope you enjoyed it!_

_Reviews are always appreciated. _

_~Ella_


	2. Play

Chapter One:

_Earlier that week_

"Mom! Have you seen my dress?" Sophia yelled, throwing out another shirt onto the floor from her closet. She groaned with frustration and tore open another cardboard box, rummaging through its contents.

"Sorry, I can't say I have! Why do you need it?" Sophia rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Tonight's the concert," She yelled, finally holding up a black dress, a look of triumph etched on her otherwise frustrated face.

"Tonight? I thought it was next week!" She just rolled her eyes and ran down the hall to her parent's bedroom. Or, what was unpacked of her parent's bedroom anyway.

"I told you last week that it was today," Sophia sighed, picking up a pair of her mother's heels. "Is it okay if I borrow these?"

Her mom nodded, petting down her slightly graying hair. "Are you sure, because I'm quite sure it's next week..." Sophia looked at her mom for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I'll look at the calendar again just to make sure," Her mother looked at her with a look of guilt, Sophia sighed again and looked at herself in the mirror. "But I'm really sure that it's tonight. I have a full tank of gas and everything." Her mother looked hurt at her words.

"You weren't going to let us drive you?" Sophia looked at her mother apologetically.

"Mom, I knew that you had a book premiere tonight, it's fine! I'll just get someone to make a tape of it," Her mom smiled and hugged her.

"I love you Soph, you know that right?" Her only daughter smiled and hugged her back.

"I know mom, I love you too." She whispered, a sad smile on her lips. Her parents never remembered.

An hour later Sophia watched as her parents drove away, heading off to another book premiere celebrating their newly published novel, _Witch Mountain_. She sighed and slipped on the black dress, the material softly clinging to her curves. It was strapless, coming down to around her knees. She tied the bow in the back and clipped her brown hair out of her face. She pulled on her mother's heels, slowly strapping the Chanel shoes. Sophia picked up her cello's case and began walking downstairs.

A sharp noise led her eyes to glance towards the table in the kitchen as she began to lock the front door. She groaned when she saw her parents most prized possession; the machine the aliens had left with her parents.

"Great, just great. Mom is probably having a fit since it's not in her purse, and they're probably going to be calling right..." The phone began ringing, causing Sophia to roll her eyes at the loud, demanding ring. "Now." She picked up the phone.

"Sophia, oh thank Heavens you're still home, have you seen-"

"Yes mom, it's right here on the kitchen table, I'm putting it in my purse as we speak. I'll take it to the concert tonight to keep it safe; don't worry, I won't let it out of my sight." She consoled, much like a mother would a child, putting the technology in her black clutch.

"Alright, well... drive carefully,"

"Yes mom, I'll be safe on the road."

"And don't forget to lock the doors,"

"Already on it,"

"Okay, well, love you!"

"Love you too, have fun at your-" But the line when dead. Sophia stood there for a moment, then put the phone back into it's holder.

She climbed into her cherry red Ford Fiesta, her cello safely strapped in the backseat and her clutch in the passenger side. As she drove to the park, she allowed her mind to wander aimlessly. But somehow it always ended up back on the subject of the aliens... the aliens that Sophia had grown up hearing so much about. The strange, foreign beings that she felt oddly jealous of for stealing her own parent's affection.

The aliens that she sometimes felt her parent's loved more than their own daughter.

"Sophia! Oh you're finally here! The house is full to the brim, and the night is perfect!" Her director gushed; he was a cute little man. With big eyes and a head too large for his body; she smiled and felt her heart flutter with excitement.

"It is beautiful, isn't it Mr. Mizo?"

"Are your parents coming? We managed to reserve two seats up in front for them..." He trailed off when he saw his student's face. "Oh, dear. I am so sorry, you reminded them; didn't you?"

"Every day for the past two weeks, but they had a book premiere tonight and... they couldn't miss it," The little man looked at his student for a moment longer.

"Well... none the less, I believe a young man is here waiting for you in the audience. Sophia's face morphed into happiness, her brown eyes searching the audience for the familiar red hair. She squealed and hugged and person from behind, making them drop their soda.

"Will! You came!" A man laughed when he recognized the voice; hugging the teen behind him.

"Of course I came Soph, I wouldn't miss this for the world!" She smiled and hugged the 18-year old again, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Will," She murmured, a small smile on her lips as he hugged her back. Behind them, stood the conductor and her forgotten cello; a smile on the old man's face when he saw his student's rare burst of happiness.

"I hate to break this up, but you need to get ready," Mr. Mizo muttered, touching his student's shoulder. Sophia nodded and let go of her best friend.

"Of course, Will are you-"

"Already got it worked out with your parents, I'm staying at the hotel down the street and we'll be spending the next few days together." He smiled, looking down at the girl he counted as his baby sister. She squealed and hugged him one last time before rushing backstage.

"You know, she's really very happy you came," Mr. Mizo said, still standing awkwardly in front of the red-haired man. Will smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I know- I try to visit her as often as possible, I had to work the graveyard shifts just to be able to come this weekend... I know how much this means to her," Mr. Mizo nodded and attempted to pat the young man's shoulder- but ended up settling on his elbow.

"Well.. thank you," The older man said, nodding slightly which lead his glasses to nearly fall off his face.

Will smiled and allowed himself to be lead to the front row, where he sat down in one of the two reserved seats, watching as the only major girl in his life warmed up her beloved cello. The summer night around them only beginning to show one of it's many surprises.

Little did they know, that in a dressing room behind stage, a small machine began whirling with life, scaring the custodian who eventually wrote it off as a cell phone.

"Jack Bruno? Are you there? Hello!"

_A/N: Hi, it's Ella! I'm back, and so is Sophia! Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter! Thanks for sticking around for so long, I know it's been a horrible wait, but I am back for good this time, I promise!_

_Oh my goodness! This has been a most crazy month. I apologize profusely for the lack of length and update. But, enough with that, what do you guys think? Do you like the story and the ways I've changed it, or do you prefer Sophia over Sam? I just needed a new name for a new character- and although she is a bit different, the two are basically the same but with Sam being a LOT less Mary-Sue-ish... in my opinion anyway._

_But review and tell me what you think! Do you like the way this story is heading? What do you think of Sam? What would you like to see different? And overall what do you even LIKE the new story?_

_Well, I'll try to update as soon as I can- but reviews never hurt :)_

_~Ella_

_Update: Sophia is back! The majority didn't like the new 'Sam' and now that I look back, I agree. Thanks to all those who reviewed and I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter that's coming later this week!_


	3. Demand

Chapter Two: Demand

_Two years earlier_

_Planet X_

Their ship landed in the middle of a field, the grass was a sickly brown color and crinkled under their feet. The brother and sister sprinted back towards the city, still garbed in the white, sterile clothing they'd been forced into in Witch Mountain. In Sara's hand held the key to their species' survival.

"Move!" Seth yelled as they ran down the road, shoving people aside as they raced towards their government facility in the center of the city.

The two heroically dodged the innocent citizens, ignoring the shouts of protest and cries of anger that followed in their wake. The air around them thick and hard to breathe in, their breathing quickly hitching with effort and lack of oxygen from dodging the people.

In the background, in the burning sky, sleek black ships rose into the air, then quickly disappeared- leaving behind a thin white trail against the blood-red color, the cargo mainly people leaving the dying planet behind, their target; Earth. When the two children noticed this, they pushed themselves harder, climbing furiously up the steps of the capital building.

Sweat from physical exertion and fear collected on Seth and Sara's foreheads, their breath quick and furious, their limbs felt like lead with each passing moment; both of them hoping, no, [praying], that they weren't too late.

They pushed past the officials and stormed into the head's private office, Sara holding up the technology in the air, but her grip tight- both physically and mentally- on the very thing they'd fought to find. "We have the cure!" Seth yelled, running up to the clearly startled leader, who also looked a bit miffed at the sight of the two children alive.

"The invasion has already begin, you are to late." He answered coolly, straightening the stack of papers on his desk, loosely gesturing towards the absent clutter that once littered the room. "Fear and power has won, science and negotiation has lost." A vicious smile flitted across his face. "And you're going to be left on this dying planet along with your parents and any others who dare disobey the orders of, well... Me,"

The man chuckled and stood up, walking calmly towards the two, leaning down to look into Seth's anger filled eyes; "And there's nothing you can do about it, kiddo."

At that nickname, Jack's nickname for him, the sixteen year old's face flared red with anger, and with a yell he punched the leader in the face, copying one of the many moves he'd seen Jack Bruno preform on men who'd endangered the small, mitch-matched group. Behind him, his fearful sister yelped and ran up to her brother.

"Seth, that was not the best approach to expressing your anger towards him, a simple..."

But she trailed off when she saw what her brother was looking at, with one glance at the bleeding man on the floor, the two quickly began working to powering the machine.

A few minutes later, their faces were broadcasted around the globe, explaining the process that could be used to spare earth, and leave _ better than ever.

"And if you believe that this [is] the right way to solve our problems, please, stop the invasion!" Sara calmly urged, her blue eyes wide and hopeful as she looked into the faces of billions. "Please," She whispered softly, tears filling her eyes and falling down her dirty cheeks. "Please, stop it now!"

Seth glanced out the window and grinned at the hopeful sight of the black ships lowering back down to the ground. 'It's working!' He mouthed to his younger sister, who's face broke out into a watery smile as the video device turned off.

"They are saved," she whispered, running over to hug her brother, still holding the device that could save them all. "We are all saved."

_Present day_

_Somewhere in Milky Way Galaxy; Light Speed_

"He is not answering, Seth. I don't understand," Sara whispered, walking into the main bridge of the ship. Glancing out of the window, biting her pale lip in worry as the small planet of Earth grew larger with each passing minute.

"Maybe they have forgotten us. It has been nearly eighteen Earth years since we last saw them, and there is the possibility..."

"No," his sister interrupted sharply, turning her head to face her brother, "They are not dead. I would know,"

Seth remained silent, his sister followed suit, the only remaining sounds coming from the ship itself and the occasional flurry of moving hands.

"But where do you suppose they are located?" The blonde-haired girl whispered, her fingers tracing the screen in front of her slender figure, creating the final course of their travels.

"Knowing the human tendency to stay located in a single area, the odds that they have moved far is low." Seth responded, his voice firm and steady as his drove the ship through the stars.

"I wonder if they have gotten married," She continue to wonder out-loud, practically ignoring her brother. "Jack Bruno and Alex Friedman, I mean."

"They did seem to have feelings for each other," He mumbled, knowing that once Sara was gone off thinking for herself, it would be most difficult to get her down.

"I wonder if they have had children, and what they look like..." Sara continued to muse, a small smile on her seventeen-year old face. "Maybe they would be our age! Oh, I am most pleased that we are able to go back to Earth! I cannot wait to see Junkyard once again, and maybe were could try... those... those [doughnuts] that Jack was talking about, or—"

"Sara!" Seth interrupted, pointing to the screen. "Our landing gear has broken, we cannot land on Earth,"

His sister turned her head, blonde hair flying in a frenzy. "What? But we cannot turn around, we need this medicine! Our people are dying,"

"I know, we must use the beam to locate ourselves near Jack and Alex, wherever they may be."

"When is our arrival time?"

Approximately three Earth days,"

"I will go try the communicator once again. Hopefully they will answer this time," Sara whispered, standing up and hurrying down the white hall.

She walked into a room, closing the door behind her and lifting up the small device to her face, her hands shaking slightly as she repeated the message once again, hopefully for the last time. "Jack Bruno? Are you there? Hello!"

_A/N: Oh yeah! I watched RtWM 6 times over Spring Break and I have pumped out 4+ chapters... updates will be regular! :D I also have fallen back in love with Alexander Ludwig... we'll see how that ends :)_

_Please review, it means a lot and I always seem to work faster when I know people are reading..._

_Disclaimer for the past few chapters: I do not own anything of Race to Witch Mountain- that's all Disney's and Alexander is his own free person (unfortunately) so all I own is Sophia and Will :)_

_Thanks for reading- oh! And is this length good for you guys? Longer? Or is it okay? _

_Merci! _

_~Ella_


	4. Know

Chapter Three: Know

_Present day_

_Earth_

She lost herself, in the music she played. When she was on stage, the lights beating down on her black-clad figure, she felt as though she was an all-seeing spirit that could do anything, be anything. The notes vibrated under her slender fingers, the music thick enough for her to taste as she played alongside the violins and violas, the harp strumming delicately behind her, the cellos playing harmoniously alongside each other, all the noises and sounds combining in the air to create a beautiful symphony of music.

Her brown eyes quickly scanned the music as she brought to bow across her strings. She smiled and blew her hair out of her face, her cheeks getting flushed as she preformed her solo flawlessly.

As Sophia played the final note, the crowd stood up and cheered. Her smile widened as she stood up, along with the rest of the orchestra, and bowed almost gracefully- she almost knocked over three music stands as she did so. She looked out into the audience, her face falling slightly as it dawned on her, once again, that her parents weren't out their along with the rest of the parents, cheering for her.

But, then again, she was used to it.

Backstage there was a knock on her door as she pulled on a pair of jeans. Sophia buttoned the pants and opened the door, a smile on her face as she did so.

Will stepped in and wrapped the seventeen year-old into a hug, a dozen roses in his hand. "You were great! That was absolutely beautiful,"

"Thanks, I'm so happy that you could come!" Sophia said, gently taking the red roses from his hands and cradling them in her arms.

He walked across the room and picked up her cello case, following her out the door. "I knew that tonight was your parents..." Will trailed off for a moment before starting over. "I knew that tonight was really important to you. I wouldn't miss it for the world,"

Sophia smiled and waved at one of the clarinets passing by, walking through the door opened for her by Will. They walked into the cool night air together and made their way towards the parking lot.

"So, it's around one in the morning, do you want to go get some ice cream?" Sophia smiled and opened her car door, allowing Will to place her cello in the backseat.

"Of course, who could say no to a breakfast of ice-cream?" She laughed, sliding into the driver's seat, Will sliding into the seat next to her.

"Sweet ride, when'd you get it?"

"Bought it for myself, I paid in full on my seventeenth birthday." Will smiled and petted the dash affectionately, his mind whirling behind that red hair.

"Makes me miss my baby." He moaned jokingly, hugging the car as she turned out into the highway.

"How is Sherry?"

"Purring like a little kitten," Will laughed, bringing out his key ring from his front pocket, twirling it on his pointer finger. "Got her a new paint job, she's night black now."

Sophia just smiled and shook her head, her loose, chocolate curls following her head's motion. "I still can't believe you managed to find that old Ford; you seem to love cars almost as much as my dad."

"You know it, Soph!" Will hooted, rolling down the window and allowing the warm summer air to circulate in the car. Sophia laughed happily, deciding to roll the window down and join her best friend in his brigade of heck-bringing to Sin City.

Around twenty minutes later, they pulled into a 24/7 ice cream stop, one Sophia frequented when her parents were gone. The two teenagers got out and walked up to the small stand, each ordering their favorite flavors.

There was a young, extremely tired, man who was yawning and falling asleep at his post, his eyelids drooping as he filled their orders.

Will smiled and gave the man a cheery smile, paying for both cones with no sign of sleepiness in his own green eyes. "You awake there buddy?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Enjoy your ice cream,"

"Thanks, have a good morning."

"You too, sir."

Sophia and Will walked out, ice cream in hand, into the cool morning air together.

"Thanks for taking me out for ice cream- at one in the morning." Sophia smiled and leaned against Will, licking her strawberry ice-cream happily, the neon sign for the stand flickering every once and awhile behind the kids.

"No problem I know how you love to eat ice-cream for breakfast." They both laughed and ate their ice cream with sweet content. They both sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, each eating their separate cones. The only sounds coming from their eating, the busy highway behind them, and the faint flickering from the neon sign.

"So how are your parents?" Will ventured after a moment, Sophia looked up at him and sighed.

"Getting ready to publish a new book, so of course their out every night. And we had to move cities again, I'm just happy that it was during the summer this time." Sophia groaned as she stretched, running her free fingers through her hair tiredly, finishing off her ice cream.

"Man, Soph, you scarfed that down. You must've been hungry," Will commented lightly, finishing off his own with a huge smile on his face.

"Yup," she sighed, looking up at the barely-noticeable stars. "I was starving. Playing a cello _is_ pretty strenuous..."

Will just shook his head and stood up helped Sophia follow, discarding their empty wrappers and making their way towards her car.

"You need a ride to your hotel?" Sophia asked, yawning as she did so.

"Nah, I'll just catch a taxi, thanks though." Will ruffled her hair affectionately, "See ya tomorrow though, I'll be here through Sunday. Until I leave, I'm all yours." Sophia laughed and waved.

"Alright, see you bright and early,"

"Drive safely, you hear?"

"Alright, bye Will."

"Bye Soph,"

Sophia drove off onto the highway, watching as Will somehow managed to flag a taxi down and climb into the yellow cab. She just smiled and drove off, eventually pulling into her driveway at around 2:30, the stars burning brightly over the outskirts of Sin City unlike the night sky in Los Angeles. She yawned and set down her cello to open the front door, slipping into the dark house quietly once the door was unlocked. She flipped the hall light on and yawned once again, making her way upstairs to bed, making a quick stop in the kitchen for a vase and water for the rose's she'd received earlier.

She cursed as she was brushing her teeth at the memory of her purse in the front seat. Sophia trudged back downstairs and walked back outside, groping in her dark car for the black clutch. When her hands finally felt the black fabric she sighed in relief and then carried it back inside; eventually spilling the contents on the kitchen table, dressed in a tank top and pajama pants.

The room filled with a soft alarm, dim blue lights filling the dark room, illuminating her face. "What the heck?" Sophia whispered, picking up the alien technology with curiosity.

"Jack Bruno? Alex Friedman?" A voice projected, Sophia yelped and dropped the thing like it was on fire.

"Is somebody present? Hello?" The voice asked again, most definitely a girl. Maybe Sophia's age, she sounded worried and urgent. "Is somebody is there, please respond."

"Hello?" Sophia whispered softly, biting her lip in anxiety. "Is somebody there?"

"Who is this?" The girl asked, her voice soft and curious. Not at all hostile or threatening.

"Um... My name is Sophia Sara Bruno... My father is Jack Dwayne Bruno, my mother is Alex Carla Friedman Bruno. Who are you?"

But the voice never answered, there was just a smooth, humming sound coming from the machine itself. But other than that, silence. Slowly, Sophia's breathing went back down to it's normal rate, the alien technology quiet and it's lights dimming with every passing second.

Sophia stared at it for a moment longer before laughing shakily at herself, turning to Junkyard, no longer as youthful as before, who had just waddled in from his spot in the living room. "I must be tired, dreaming up stuff like that. No more ice cream for breakfast..." Then she knelt down an scratched the family dog's ear, who in response thumped his leg loudly against the hardwood. "Isn't that right? Sophia is going crazy, isn't she Junkyard?" She cooed, "Isn't she?"

But deep down, she knew that what just happened was true, that she [had] talked to those aliens, and for a moment anyway, they talked back.

But, she took the memory and folded it over and over, then she pushed it back into the deep, dark corners of her mind and soul. Squishing them into inexistance as she made her way upstairs, Junkyard following close behind. She calmed her race heart by repeating soothing lies to herself over and over, unwilling to allow her fragile reality to come crashing around her at the slightest possibility that they might actually be real. She nursed her frantic mind by pretending that the past five minutes did not happen. And as far as she was concerned, they didn't. She bit her tongue and held her fingers together at the urge to call her parents, to tell them all that had happened. But she knew if she did that, she would lose any attention she'd managed to snag in her lifetime. They would be swept up in the prospect of the Alien's coming back, the idea that they could need [their] help. They would forget all about their daughter who was expecting her college acceptance letter to one of the top music schools in the world, and become totally absorbed in _them_.

The seventeen year old clung to the final hope that she held near, that maybe that [was] just a coincidence and that she [wasn't] going to lose her parents anymore than she already had.

Sophia Bruno didn't think she could bare to lose them any more.

And as she tucked herself into bed, flipping off her lamp, and helped her dog onto the bed next to her feet, one lone thought flitted through her mind that scared her to the core. _'Now you know they're real. And they will take your parents away. For good.'_

She cried herself to sleep that night, her dreams haunted by the sounds of that girl's voice downstairs. "Sophia Bruno? Hello?"

_A/N: Hello! Thanks to all who reviewed, especially _Firestar'sniece_ who brought to my attention some very important key characters/problems that needed to be addressed. So thanks :)_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it is a bit longer than the other... do you like the length? Hmmmm... I do, but it took me forever to write X3 _

**_Attention: I am in need of a beta for this story. Please apply through review and/or PM if you are interested. Thank you :)_**

_Reviews are always appreciated!_

_~Ella_

_P.S. A note on the future chapter formatting- it will be interesting and I'm really looking forward to writing like this. But for ever chapter I write in Sophia's POV, I'll write a sister chapter from Seth's POV- so in essence, you'll be getting the chapter twice from two different people. Bu they think so differently that I don't think they'll be the problem of repitition. Review and tell me what you think, and any suggestions for future events/problems that may arise! I love the feedback! ~Ella_


	5. Locate

Chapter Four: Locate

_Two months ago_

_Planet X  
_  
When Sara and Seth returned home, they were hailed as hero's by the people- and criminals by the former government. And once they had been able to save the entire planet, the last citizens who had been siding with the corrupt government joined the majority who favored a new government, one run by the people.

"Seth," Sara whispered, looking at her brother as he slept. The teenage boy stirred and cracked his eyes open, looking around in the darkness for the source of the voice. "Seth, are you awake?"

In response he groaned and sat up, rubbing his blue eyes tiredly. "What, Sara?" His sister smiled and sat next to him, shoving Seth into the wall as she did so, her face glowing with excitement in the semi-dark room.

There was a pause before she began again, but her voice shaking with happiness when she did; "I know where a cure is located!"

Seth blinked, he'd certainly not expected that. "Where is it? We must get immediately. I'll start packing and you go explain to our parents. We must hurry—"

"Seth,"

The blonde continued as though he'd not heard his younger sister, beginning to punch furiously at his small handheld as he stood up. "Is it in limited supply? Or is it a type of formula? Do you have any idea of it's properties? Or where it is? I mean we can only—"

"Seth!" Sara's brother turned to look at her, a look of semi-annoyance on his face.

"Yes, Sara?"

"The cure is located on Earth,"

Seth was at loss for words, he'd not expected that either. "How?"

Sara took a deep breath, glancing out the dark window before she spoke. "There is another successful experiment posted there. I could not sleep so I decided to look through old files; some our parents had forgotten. When I found this," She held out a folder it's edges torn and crinkled, a large stain of some mysterious substance marked the front, blurring the words written. Seth blinked and took the folder from his sister's hands, flipping it open to the first page and examining the file.

Silence followed as he read, there was no sound for a solid twenty minutes; the only sound was the pages flipping.

When Seth finished reading, he looked up at Sara, a broad smile on his face. "You are right- this might just work."

Soon, the word was spread that the plane could be saved once again by the 'Wonder Siblings', as Seth and Sara had been dubbed, a ship with supplies was immediately made available and it was determined they would leave at the end of the month.

So here they were now, traveling at light speed towards the blue-green planet that determined Planet X's future. And once Seth and Sara retrieved the medication, all would be right again.

But Seth still felt unnerved about the entire mission- he could feel that something larger was going to happen on Earth than what they had prepared for. But then again, his senses had been off ever since his seventeenth birthday.

None the less, Seth was not confused easily- it was something he prided in- but he now rolled around in his bed, unable to sleep. He just did not understand- he had managed to locate the current home of Jack and Alex, but for some reason, there had been evidence of three persons. Did this mean they had reproduced? Children were highly valued on their home planet, were they treated with such joy on Earth, or was it simply reproduction for them?

From what he had observed of the couple, the two did not seem to _want_ children; Jack seemed as though he wouldn't feel as though he was protecting his unborn children, Alex was a workaholic and seemed to have no time for the trivial needs of an infant. Maybe he was wrong... But that would be odd considering he is usually such a good judge of character.

And then the was the offspring itself. Was it male or female? Younger or older than Seth himself? It was obvious that they still lived with their parents, he had seen traces of children. But that could mean the child could be anywhere from infantcy to adulthood. But, only two years had passed on Planet X, had the same amount of years passed on Earth?

Seth had also managed to hack into the US government satalite, reviewing the pictures taken within the past month. There, in the archive, he found evidence of a family moving into a new home. Further researh showed that the house was under the name "Jack Bruno".

But there was also proof that someone had joined Nevada's Public School System under the last name of Bruno- he'd been unable to locate their first name.

He also found put that Jack and Alex had moved many more times that usual for humans. And that they had sucessfully published over five books.

Yes, Seth had a little bit too much extra time on this trip; and hacking into the US government was a bit too easy for what Seth pictured most people believed about their security.

After gathering all the evidence, hiding it successfully from Sara, he still felt a little fear at the possibility of Alex and Jack having an actual child- but not for himself, for the other party. He felt sure they had _no_ idea what was coming their way.

He groaned and sat up, swinging his legs hapharzardly onto the floor as he stood up. He groaned again as the room spun, he held his head as a headache came along. Seth's head pounded and he moaned, sitting back down on the floor, hunching in on himself. He just did not understand...

Seth's head was spinning, his thoughts whirling around painfully; thoughts bouncing off the sides of his cranium like a young child would play with a ball.

He somehow managed to crawl towards the shared bathroom, stripping and climbing into the instant-hot water. He sighed as the water pelted him, bringing minor relief to his pain.

* * *

Sara yawned as she locked the ship into auto-pilot. Getting up and yawning once more; stretching as she made her way towards the hall. Making plans to take a long, hot shower before handing over the shift to Seth. She groaned when she heard the water running, meaning Seth had already claimed the only bathroom.

So, she decided to try the forbidden once more. She walked into the room and picked up the smooth, cool metal waiting patiently; it's patience like an unwavering river of hopes- annoying both Sara and Seth to no end. But, they had to try, Sara reasoned, so she lifted it, pressed a combination of buttons and started her normal message. "Jack Bruno? Alex Friedman?"

But unlike before, there were the sounds of a yelp and the clamor of something hitting the table. "Is somebody present? Hello?" Sara repeated, knowing someone could hear her. She could hear their screams of surprise and shock. "Is somebody is there, please respond."

"Hello?" The girl whispered, her voice tiny and shaking slightly, "Is somebody there?"

Sara paused for a moment, wondering just who it was that she was communicating with, her mind filling with excitement and her nerves bouncing from an adrinaline rush. "Who is this?" She asked politely, with honest curiousity. This girl did not sound like Alex Friedman, actually, she sounded around her own age. About seventeen.

The unidentified person took a deep breath and began softly. "Um... My name is Sophia Sara Bruno... My father is Jack Dwayne Bruno, my mother is Alex Carla Friedman Bruno. Who are you?" Sara stopped breathing, the communicator clattering onto the floor as she raced down the hall.

Sara burst into the hall, only to find her brother still cleaning. "Seth!" She screamed, running down the hall frantically, pounding on the bathroom door. "Seth, come out!"

The door to the bathroom flew open under Sara's fist- her hand making contact with her brother's face, but it simply passed through his head. His blonde hair wet and sticky with some remains of shampoo, a towel wrapped around his middle and his hands clenched in a fist, frantic worry obvious on his face. "What Sara? Who's attacking? What happened!" Sara looked at her brother with piercing blue eyes, slightly filled with tears as she reached out and hugged her brother.

"I finally achieved communication with Earth," She whispered, resting her head on her brother's shoulder.

Seth smiled and huged his sister tighter. "What did Jack snd Alex say?" He asked curiously, the heat of his running shower spilling into the hallway, his headache creeping back.

"I did not talk with them,"

"Then who did you communicate with?"

Sara swallowed and looked up at her brother, staring at a small drop of water on his nose, unwilling to look him directly in the eyes. "I talked to their daughter, she must be around our age. Her name is Sophia Bruno,"

Seth stopped breathing, and just looked at younger sister. His blue eyes widening at the fact that they had indeed reproduced, just as he had predicted. But the offspring was their own age... He had _not_ expected that.

"How is that possible?" He whispered, letting his sister go and running his fingers in his hair. "I thought if they had reproduced, then the child must be much younger- only two years have passed on our planet.

"Time on Planet X must pass much more slower than on Earth-in the time of two years on our home, nearly eighteen years have passed here," Sara mused softly, Seth nodded, it made sense. On their first visit, they had only been gone for a maximum of six days, but nearly 54 days had passed when they returned home. They had barely gotten to Planet X in time to save Earth; so it was logical that nearly eighteen years had passed.

"But-" Seth strugled to comprehend. Though it was possible, it was harder than he expected to accept that Jack Bruno and Alex Friedman had... had actually given birth to a daughter. An actual human being that had a bit of both of Jack and Alex.

"Seth, finish clensing yourself, I will go and attempt communication once again." His sister gave a small smile. "Do not worry, it is just as hard for me to accept as you, I suppose we will meet her once we are back down on Earth." Her eyes flickered towards the open window, glancing at the small blue and green planet. "I cannot wait to meet her."

Seth made no response, just moved his head slightly to gaze out the open window. He heard the flurry of his sister scurrying back towards the room she had been in previously, her voice muffled by the door. "Sophia Bruno? Hello?"

Seth shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, and turned back into the shower. As the limited hot water pounded against his tired back. He groaned and scrubbed his arms with soap, not believing how long they had been away.

Somehow, even before knowing all the trials that they would go through, Seth knew that this was going to be a difficult mission- both physically and emotionally. _  
_

_A/N: Yes, I'm sorry this one is shorter... but I kinda hit a road block for this DX There's only so much you can write while your characters are blood related and confined in a small spacecraft... Sorry!_

_Anyway, thank you to all those who reviewed- it meant a lot :) This chapter is dedicated to you!_

_So... I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Once they all meet each other, it the plot picks up, I promise! But right now, the story is mainly focused on Sophia's life _before_ she knew Seth and Sara. With little tidbits of Seth's life before he knew her. :)_

_Reviews/favorites/alerts are always appreciated!_

_~Ella_

_Update: Yay for updates! Yeah, I know they suck, I'm sorry! Thank you to FireStar'sNiece for pointing out that the previous chapter basically sucked and I needed to rewrite it. So here it is! Don't really expect any reviews, though they'd be absolutely wonderful! _

_Next chappie will be out by **at least** Sunday- I swear. I'm just doing some minor rewrites an hopefully I'll be done soon!_

_Thanks for reading!_

_~Ella_


	6. Dream

Chapter Five: Dream

_Present Day_

_Earth_

When Sophia opened her eyes, she was startled to find that she was laying on the ground, the sky above her green from overgrown foliage. 'I must be dreaming'... She thought to herself as she stood up, careful not to kill any of the small animals they scurried along the ground. 'There's no way this can be real.. ' Her eyes rested on a large tree that seemed to be the tree of life- thousands of ants and bugs crawled up and down it's rough, brown bark and birds flew above Sophia's head; collecting the fruit and flowers that bloomed on it's many branches. She felt as though she was being pulled towards it, her feet moving on their own accord as she made her way slowly through the forest floor.

She gasped at the sheer size of the plant and knelt down and picked up on of it's leaves, it's size roughly around her hand and thin veins webbing the surface of it. Sophia smiled and stood up, oddly at comfort near this tree, her pure white dress whispering at her knees as she moved around the trunk gracefully. Wondering just what kind of dream this was... It seemed to... _real_ to be fake, but it occurred to Sophia that— that maybe she _wasn't_ dreaming.

The seventeen year-old was suddenly overcome with the urge to touch the living thing. To feel it's rough exterior under her hand, to become part of the tree.

Sophia stepped onto one of the roots, the gnarled wood holding her weight as she leaned forward, placing her hand on the odd thing. But when her fingertips touched the tree, the bark was smooth, almost cool to her suddenly feverish touch.

Then she was moving, the forest around her disappearing in a blur of green, her hair whipping her shoulders and back painfully as she moved, still standing on the tree. She blinked as she watched a blur of colors pass her: a deep red came along with a flash of hot air, a blur of white left her freezing, the steady spray of water accompanied blue- as far as Sophia could see.

When the tree stopped, they were surrounded by darkness, small bulbs of light twinkling ominously above her. She gulped and shakily began to step down from her root, the petals of the tree's flowers falling off around her.

She bit her lip and began walking away, stumbling every so often as she moved farther and farther away from the tree, her brown hair swirling around her though there was no wind.

Then, everything went dark. It was as if the shadows had swallowed her, leaving no light for Sophia to look at. She gasped when voices penetrated her skull, the noise bouncing around wherever she was. Echoing and running over itself, again and again.

'_Run Sophia!'_

_'Who are you, and here the heck are you from?'_

_'And now, you're dead.'_

_'We are in need of your help, Sophia Bruno. Will you help us?'_

She screamed as they became painful, her mind unable to absorb everything she was hearing. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that it would stop.

And when she opened her eyes again they were looking up at her off-white bedroom ceiling, her throat raw from screaming, and confusion settled in. Why hadn't her parents come to wake her up? Surely they'd heard her screaming... her dad often joked that she could scream the dead awake when she was younger. Were they even here?

To answer her question, the smell of cinnamon rolls wafted into her room. Sophia smiled and stood up, making her way down the stairs to the kitchen. Junkyard following her with his strange waddle.

When she made her way to the foyer, she heard ESPN blaring through the living room TV. She peeked in and saw Will, sleeping on her couch with a cinnamon roll on his lap, drool coming out of the corner of his mouth.

Whoever married him was one _lucky_ girl.

Sophia rolled her eyes and let her sleeping friend lie- unwilling to deal with the wrath of a grumpy eighteen year-old ginger. But she walked into the kitchen and made her way to the now cool rolls her mother had made.

As Sophia ate one, she saw the note slightly hidden under an oven mitt.

_Soph,_

_Me and your father have to go to another book premiere but we should be home by two at the latest. We let Will in and if he eats all the cinnamon rolls you can make some more. Thank you for taking care of... it, last night- it means a lot to your father and I. _

_Love,_

_Mom_

_P.S. Will showed us the tape last night of you playing, you were absolutely beautiful. We're so proud Soph, and incredibly sorry that we couldn't make it. XOXO Mom (and Dad)_

"Hey, Will? Where's all the rolls?" She yelled as she finished off the last bite of her cinnamon roll. There was a yell and a crashing noise, followed by an "I'm okay!" after a moment she repeated her question- a bit more loudly than before.

Once the ginger realized she was talking to him, there was a scramble to turn down the blaring volume provide by the TV before he answered, "In my stomach!" he yelled back, a whoop of surprised joy following as his team scored a point. She glared at the wall that separated them, mumbling to herself as she clamored around the kitchen in search of her mother's promised extras. Smiling happily when she found them in the fridge.

As she began making them, her vision blacked out for a moment, leaving her to blindly search for the counter before she toppled over. Once she regained her vision, she heard the phone ring. "Will, can you get that?" She yelled, expecting him to groan and gripe but for the phone to stop ringing. She looked back down at her pan, blinking as she realized her vision was slightly off- but quickly correcting the problem by blinking rapidly and shaking her head a few times.

"Get what?"

"The phone idiot! It's been ringing!" Sophia yelled, holding her head as a headache formed- glaring, once again, telepathically through the wall.

"The phone is not rin- it's ringing." Will's tone sounded oddly stunned, Sophia put down the pan and started towards the living room. "How did you know that it was going to ring?"

Sophia sat down next to him, checking the caller ID before answering him- just the delivery company. "It's been ringing, why didn't you answer it?"

Will looked at his friend, his eyes confused and almost... afraid. "Soph, the phone's just started ringing, I swear on my life."

Sophia's brow furrowed as she thought for a moment, "I don't know... It was just a coincidence." She smoothly said, waving her hand for extra emphasis.

The two stared at each other for a moment in silence, the timer for the oven going off behind them. Sophia sighed and got up. "Don't eat all these, I'm hungry too."

Will mumbled something incoherently, his wary attention back on the TV. Sophia smiled and finished up the pastries, sticking them into the oven as she dreamed of eating them in front of Will while painting his toenails in pink permanent marker while he was tied to a chair. Like that would ever happen.

Later, after heroically defending her cinnamon rolls from Will and coloring on his face in marker, Sophia jogged downstairs in some basketball shorts and a t-shirt. She smiled and pulled her hair back in a ponytail, playfully bumping Will as she grabbed his basketball, black marker still connecting his numerous freckles.

The red-head smiled and accepted her challenge, racing her outside and to the community basketball hoop, where several boys had already began playing a game.

They were quickly rationed out into teams, the two friends going against each other in the end, much to Sophia's pleasure. In the end, her team won by over twenty points, making her _extremely_ happy.

"Bye Soph,"

"See ya!"

"We're playin' a game tomorrow, be there,"

Sophia smiled and shook hands with most of the guys, her face now red and sweaty. Some of her hair had escaped her ponytail and was now curly wisps around her face. "Thanks guys, see ya later!" She yelled over her shoulder as her and Will headed home.

The two walked in silence, Sophia dribbling the ball and Will humming his favorite song innocently. Then, out of the blue, he grabbed her free hand; smiling at her in the corner of his eye. She blushed and looked down, but kept their hands joined, laughing silently at his marker covered face that earned him some strange stares.

As they reached Sophia's house, she blinked her eyes and let go of Will's hand. "What?" He asked, looking around.

"My parents... They're home," She whispered, looking up at him in confusion. "They're never home on time..."

Will shrugged, "Maybe they're talk ended early?" he suggested casually. Sophia shook her head.

"No... They have a pattern. They _never_ break their pattern." She began running towards the house, panic filling her with every step on the hot pavement. She opened the door to find her parents huddled in the hall- her mother's face streaked with tears and her father on the verge. In their joined hands laid the very device that Sophia had been in carve of the night before.

A different sort of panic flooded Sophia- had they found out? Did they actually _talk_ to them? Were they... Were the aliens actually _coming_?

Her mother's voice startled her train of thought- making the teen jump with guilt written on her face. "Sophia, we were just about to call you."

A lot of luck that would've done, Sophia's cell was still in her mother's drawer from their last argument... Two years ago.

Her dad stepped forward, ignoring Will directly who was just coming into the house- the boy's face worried as he reached out and touched Sophia's arm. "Soph- you okay? I was so—" he began, quickly getting cut off by Jack.

"You need to go home son, we have some... Family matters to discuss." Sophia opened her mouth in protest, stamping her foot down, and turning to her mother, who just nodded in silent agreement. She began to say something but was cut off by Will himself.

"Yes sir, I understand," He turned to Sophia. "Meet me at my hotel tomorrow morning? I need a ride to the airport..." Sophia nodded numbly, this couldn't be happening. This was supposed to be _their_ day... how could her parents ruin that?

Will walked out and shut the door, and Sophia could still feel the faint sounds of him calling a taxi. The brunette turned to look at her parents with a death glare, feeling oddly numb as she watched him drive away. But she quickly regrouped her thoughts and set her jaw angrily. "How dare you invite him here, say we can spend the day together, and then kick him out! That was so rude and I am _beyond_ embarrassed. We only get to see each other once a year and you _dare_ ruin that for us? He is my best friend, and he's put up with a lot of crap, but that was just—" Sophia yelled, looking at her parents with anger as her voice climbed octaves, but she stopped from a loss of words.

Sophia placed her head in her hand, taking a deep breath before starting again in a quieter, more lethal voice. "I have put up with a lot of crap, but that just crossed the line. He is my _best_ _friend_, and I sure as hell hope that this 'family emergency' is pretty important." She looked up at her parents, both stunned that their daughter had threatened them and used profanity in the same sentence. Neither one spoke and frankly, Sophia didn't have much patience left.

"Well? I'm waiting." Sophia tapped her foot on the floor, her arms crossed, and looked hardly at her parents, her brown eyes iced over in pure anger.

It was her mom who recovered first, shaking her head a bit first to collect her thoughts. "I'm sorry, your dad and I weren't thinking about how that might have hurt you. We didn't... _I_ didn't mean for it to come of as rude, but this really is a family matter, Soph."

Her daughter nodded, signaling that she'd forgiven her mom. Jack on the other hand, remained silent, a guarded look reflected on his face. "So," Sophia asked, looking at her parents, her anger melting. "What is the emergency?"

"They're coming," Her father answered, looking at his daughter with a hidden spark of excitement in his eyes.

Sophia's face morphed into confused panic, she looked between her parents happy faces. "Who? Uncle Carl and Aunt Rosie? But didn't they make it across the border? Why would they come—"

"Not them," Alex interrupted suddenly, bringing her hands up to stop her daughter. "No, Carl and Rosie are still in Canada. We mean Seth and Sara," Pure panic flitted across Sophia's face, along with some other emotions. "Isn't that wonderful!"

There were so many things Sophia could have said: "No! That's horrible!" or "I hate them and you!" or even "I don't _care_, mom! I don't _want_ them to come!"

But instead, she put on the same act she had been pulling for years. Sophia smiled stiffly and hugged her parents with tears filling her eyes as she silently wished her acceptance letter to Yale had come a day earlier.

_A/N: Hmmm... longer chapter! Sorry- yes this is a day late but it's length makes up for the lateness... no? Oh well :D I seem to write more for Sophia than I do for Seth... but I'm guessing it'll get easier once they start to interact; which shouldn't be a long wait! I'm pretty excited!_

_Well, I'm pretty excited, even though it is a Monday... for no reason... :)_

_Reviews are always appreciated!_

_~Ella_

_P.S. Bonus points to whoever can point out/guess all the character/plot similarities in this chapter compared to the original story!_

_P.S.S. Does anyone like the new title/summary? I sure do, though the theme of '_Perfection_' won't be evident until later chapters, but I'm pretty happy with it :)_


	7. Wait

Chapter Six: Wait

Little time had passed, and each second was more agonizing than the one before. Their estimated time of arrival had not changed much, and it was driving the two teens insane.

"What is our approximate arrival time?" Sara asked, pacing the small bridge over and over; her brother sitting calmly and almost statuestly in the navigator's chair, staring at the screen.

"Approximately .624 days until we will have the ability to teleport." He answered in a monotone, his eyes scanning the engine of the ship. "The engine is in good shape- it should be able to last our trip to Earth and back without having to stop for more fuel."

Sara nodded and continued pacing, waving her hand to grab her brother's attention. "I wonder what she looks like, she most likely has brown eyes considering both Jack and Alex had brown eyes... But what if she has green eyes? I wonder if she's nice, although she seemed very small like her father when I talked with her." She paused for a moment, then turned to her brother, a teasing smile trained towards her unaware brother. "I wonder if she's pretty... I'll bet she is beautiful. You love brown eyes, don't you Seth?"

She watched as her older brother stiffen, her eyes dancing with interest. His fist clenched as her words sunk in. "Sara, there is no way that I will ever fall in love with a _human_. They are emotional creatures that require too much effort to even associate with for long periods of time,"

Sara just smiled, 'It sounds as though you've given this a lot of thought...' She told him, almost laughing at his redding face. 'But do not worry, brother, your secret is safe with me.'

Seth just glared at his sister and retuned to his previous work, fuming inside his mind; silent to his sister who eventually joined him at piloting the plane.

The two sat in silence for awhile, each absorbed in their separate work, neither one willing to begin a conversation again since Seth's feelings were still sore towards their earlier conversation.

Eventually he muttered something about another shower and locked the auto-pilot; leaving his sister alone. After awhile Sara decided once again to try and contact the girl named Sophia Bruno, her heart beginning to beat a little quicker with each step towards the room.

Sara decided to try it a bit differently this time, and instead of talking immediately, a small alarm would sound off on the device, warning the holder of Sara's presence. She figured this would be better- to prepare whoever was there instead of scaring them as she had done yesterday with Sophia Bruno.

From the other side, she heard the rustle of something opening- a zipper perhaps- and a small gasp. A moment later, Sara decided to speak up. "Hello?"

There was a yell of shock from the other end, but it was different than the yell of Sophia Bruno, it seemed more... happier.

"Sara? Is, is that you?"

"Yes, and is this," she paused for a moment before making up her mind, "Is this Alex Friedman?"

"Y-yes! Jack is here too... Are you all alright? Is something wrong?" Alex's voice sounded shaky, almost as though she was recovering from something.

Sara smiled, Alex was certainly more eager than her daughter to talk with her. And the seventeen year old couldn't help but feel a bit loved by the older woman's concern. "Yes, my brother and I are fine- but our planet is not. We are on our way to Earth to collect an experiment located in," She paused for a moment, shrinking a map of the engine on the screen in front of her with her free hand, and bringing up another map, this one of the United States. Sara zoomed in on one location, a small town located on the border of California, the small community highlighted with a red dot.

"Located in a city by the name of Ojai. We need permission to beam into your home once we arrive to Earth's atmosphere." Sara resumed smoothly, her hands moving once again, this time they pulled up the large countdown Seth had constructed. "Which will be in approximately .529 days."

There was a small yelp- but one of happiness. "Of- of course you can come to our home! Of course... Of course! Jack and I will- we'll do anything to help you and your brother. Speaking of which, where is Seth?"

"My brother is..." Sara searched for the correct term. "Occupied. Though he will be thrilled that you are alright." Which was true- but he'd also be upset that Sara hadn't notified him.

"So how are you two? Are you okay?" Sara laughed and nodded her head, once again knowing that the two adults couldn't see her actions.

"Yes, yes of course my brother and I are well. We are one of the few not yet infected with the disease." There was a relived sigh on the other end.

"We're so happy that you two are alright; Jack and I have been worried sick about you two for the past eighteen years."

"Yes, Alex, your concern is... sweet, thank you. How has Earth been?" That was all it took to launch Mrs. Bruno into a not-so-short summary of all that had happened while they were gone. Jack remained silent for a majority of the time, making only minor interjections into the conversation; Sara noticed.

She also noticed that throughout the hour of their talking, the couple never once mentioned their supposed daughter. This throughly concerned, and stumped Sara. Children are supposed to be highly valued, their birth's alone causing much celebration between families on her planet. Is that not how it is on Earth?

"She's out there playing basketball again," This complaint caught the blonde's attention, her attention focusing fully on this somewhat private conversation. "She acts like a guy so much, she know's that I don't like it!"

"Sweetie, let her play. She's not doing anyone any harm and it looks like she's kicking some butt." Jack soothed, a small hint of pride in his voice as he consoled his wife.

"Sara, honey, I'm sorry but we have to go. We're so excited that you're coming! Isn't that right, Jack?" There was a gruff sound in the background, no doubt watching whoever this girl was (Sophia?).

"That is okay, Alex. Thank you once again for allowing my brother and I into teleport into your home." Sara thanked politely, secretly wishing that she could already be there.

"No problem sweetie; have a safe... Trip?" Sara laughed in response and shut off the communicator quickly before she lost the nerve to.

She stood there for a moment, collecting her thoughts before glancing at the timer- nearly an hour had passed. Sara smiled to herself and quietly exited the room, making her way toward the 'mess hall', as her and Seth had settled on calling it in the beginning.

She traveled down the narrow halls gracefully, her steps similar to a dancer with years of practice. Her slim hand touched the cool frame of the mess hall's door, the touch triggering the door to slid open.

She sighed and stepped inside, rummaging in the cabinets for something to eat, when a voice startled her. "So, did you establish communication with Sophia Bruno?"

Sara's heart stopped for a moment, looking over her shoulder to find her brother staring at her. She smiled and nodded, turning back towards the food she'd placed out in front of her. "Not exactly, I was able to connect with Jack and Alex. We have been given permission to beam into their home- they are expecting our arrival soon."

There was a moment of silence before Seth spoke. "Of course, I knew that it would work out. I was positive,"

Sara sighed and looked at her brother tiredly, "Seth, sometimes, it's okay to be wrong." She moved over to her older brother and hugged him tightly. "We still love you- you don't have to be perfect all the time."

Once again, there was a moment of silence before Seth answered his sister. "But I do, I have to be perfect. If I'm not," Seth paused and spun around on his heel, his head pounding with another headache. "Then I have nothing to live for."

Sara sighed and turned back towards her food. "You don't have to be perfect, Seth." She whispered, her normally peaceful face now marred with worry for her brother.

But all Sara could do was hope that maybe, just maybe, this trip to Earth would change Seth; for the better.

_A/N: You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for all of your reviews- they make my exams a little less horrible! :) Congratulations to tomboy2012, who guessed nearly all the similarities, missing only basketball. Round of applause please? _

_Also, thank you to tomboy2012 for volunteering to be my new beta. I gladly accept your offer and all I ask is that you PM me so that I can send you the new chapter and for me to tell you a few things about how I write :)_

_Thank you to all of you who review, it really does mean a lot, and heck, I know this chapter took a long time, but it probably wouldn't have even been written yet if I hadn't known how many people like this story... so thank :D_

_Well, until next chapter... reviews are always appreciated!_

_~Ella_


	8. Hate

Chapter Seven: Hate

"I am totally mortified." Sophia whispered to Will, looking at him for a moment as they rode in silence towards the airport. "I'm sorry for the way my parents treated you- sometimes they're God-awful."

Will looked at Sophia a moment before leaning in and whispering back, "It's okay- parents are the reason I got my own place. Why are we whispering, again?"

She laughed and sat back up, gently leaning into the gas pedal as the light above them turned green. "I have no idea- I guess it just seemed appropriate."

"I understand," Will said with an easy smile, one of his best characteristics in Sophia's mind. "So where are we going?"

Sophia blinked and looked at her best friend, "Um... the airport?" Confusion painted in her voice, "Isn't that where you need to go?"

"Nah, my flight doesn't take off till eleven; we got plenty of time." Sophia's brown eyes flickered towards the dashboard clock, it's green LED lights shining the time: 9:37.

"Are you kidding me? I could still be sleeping! My parents made me clean for six _hours_! Is that even legal?"

Will just looked down, guilt written all over his face. "Sorry, I just thought you might want to spend an hour or two with me. I mean, especially since your parents-"

"Alright!" Sophia interrupted, sighing heavily in defeat as she followed the heavy Las Vegas traffic. "We'll go do [one] thing. But I have to be home in an hour,"

Will smiled devilishly, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Oh, there's plenty to do in an hour, young Sophia. Especially, when you're in Vegas."

Sophia shivered involuntarily as the thought rushed across her mind as he whispered, 'What the heck... Am I scared of my best friend?'

* * *

As they rode down the streets of Vegas, the windows open and the air-conditioner on full blast in attempt to beat the muggy summer heat, Sophia couldn't help but feel as though she was charged. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up involentarily when she looked up at the sky; dark shivers raced down her back even though she was burning hot in a tank top and shorts, it was as though her body could tell that something big was about to happen- something that might just change everything she knew.

"Soph, you okay?" Sophia snapped back into focus, realizing she was swerving slightly off the road.

"Yeah, I'm fine; just a bit tired. Little night of sleep you know," She responded smoothly; lying was one of the few things that she could actually do well... and it was usually pretty handy in times like these.

"Are you sure? We can pull over and stop for ice cream again," Will cautiously said, his hand resting on the dashboard.

Sophia sighed and rolled her eyes, "Of course I'm fine, and you really wanted to go see that show. We still have," A quick glance at the clock, "About thirty minutes, we can still catch the tour of the studio. It's fine!"

"Alright, if you're sure..."

"I'm positive Willy... don't you trust me?" She jokingly asked, not noticing how he slightly stiffened at the question.

"Of course I do... of course. You're my best friend!"

And off they went, with Sophia's neck still prickling and Will's mind still uneasy. A spaceship orbiting Mars as they spoke, preparing for a beam that would alter both lives.

* * *

Funny how the most unimportant things can effect your life, how much an hour can change you- and your emotions.

"Well, I guess this is it, I had a great time." Will said, slightly awkward as he scratched the back of his head.

Sophia nodded in agreement, "Yeah, great time." She echoed, tugging on a piece of her hair nervously. "Sorry about my parents... They're," Sophia searched for the correct word to describe the couple. "Weird. They're just plain weird."

Will smiled and hugged her, his scent of fresh cut grass surrounding her. "I know weird, it's okay."

She sighed and hugged him tighter, tears welling in her eyes. _'_I really won't be seeing him until next summer...'

"Well, squirt. I've got to go; I'll text you when we land." She nodded absent-mindedly, her thoughts already turned to next summer. "And hey, Amelia would be proud," Sophia looked up at Will, a flash of an uncertain emotion in her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered tightly, gripping her modest brown purse, staring at the wall behind Will.

When his kissed her.

Right there, in the airport.

Sophia's best friend just kissed her.

_Will_ just kissed her.

And it was... Nice.

And when Sophia opened her eyes, the ginger was gone.

She stood there for a moment, utterly stunned and shocked. Not really knowing how to react to the sudden burst emotions she had. Fear, confusion, curiosity, and... something else that she couldn't put her finger on. She bit her lip before making up her mind; turning on her heel and walking quickly out of the airport and to her car.

As she drove home, her vision once again got hazy, causing her to swerve off the road and into a parking lot for a beauty salon.

_"We are back."_

That sentence repeated itself over and over, the words bouncing and overlapping on each other. "Who's back?" Sophia screamed, her eyes wide as she looked around the car in a panic. "WHO THERE!"

There was a sudden knock at the door, and both voices fell silent. Outside there was a kind-looking elderly woman who had a look of concern on her face. "Are you alright, sweetie?"

Sophia nodded as she rolled down her window, blinking her eyes rapidly trying to correct her vision and erase the tears. "Yes ma'am, I'm alright. Bad day at work. I just needed to scream a little to help relieve some stress. Thank you though,"

The old woman smiled kindly and nodded, "Of course. I'm glad that you're alright. Have a nice day,"

"You too, ma'am." The woman began to walk away before stopping and coming back to the car, just as Sophia was buckling her seat belt.

"You have beautiful eyes, I've never seen such an unusual shade before. Quite exotic,"

The teenage touched her cheeks, and smiled- mildly confused on how brown eyes could be 'exotic' but she thanked the woman none the less.

Sophia watched for a moment as the old lady hobbled into the small beauty shop, not rolling up her window just yet. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, yawning a bit as she did so. After a few minutes she started up her car again and made her way home, slowly, just in case.

When she pulled into the driveway the sun was pretty high in the sky, causing Sophia to shield her eyes as she walked up the brick walkway that lead to the front door.

"Mom! Dad! I'm—" But she was cut off when someone placed a hand over her mouth. Sophia looked around and saw her mother, wide eyed and fingers pressed to her lips.

"Shhhh..." Sophia nodded in understanding and Alex let go of her face.

_'_Will thinks his parents are weird...'

Her mom gestured for Sophia to follow her into the living room- where her father was waiting with an almost apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Soph. Your mom thought—" But he was stopped by a violent 'SHHHH'.

Mrs. Bruno glared at her husband before speaking, "Do you want to attract attention?"

Sophia had to cough to cover a laugh, "And the black-out curtains don't attract any?" She stage-whispered, pointing to the black clad windows.

That earned her a glare, but it was worth it since she got her father to laugh a bit.

Alex sighed and ran her fingers through her hair tiredly, sitting down on their couch before she patted her lap for Sophia to sit on. Something she hadn't done since she was five.

Her mother began to play her her hair, slowly weaving her fingers through it as she spoke. "Sophia, I know that you don't care as much, and I certainly don't blame you. You're planning on majoring in Classical Music for goodness sake's! But this is important to me and your father. Try to be a little kind when they do come- please?" Sophia looked at her father for a moment, who was sitting in his 'Easy Chair'. The man nodded slightly, approving what his wife had said before him. She sighed and instead of answering, picked up the small hand-held and began playing with it. A small smile coming to her face as she realized the actual fascination she had for the object she hated most of all.

Sophia felt her mother sigh as she played with her brown hair. Sophia began switching things, pressing buttons; her face lighting up as various colors shot out of the machine. She laughed silently as her father jumped at every noise his large body ready to protect his wife and daughter.

When it stopped. Sophia looked at her mother with a confused look on her face- her mother giving a nonchalant shrug for an answer. "Wha- Ouch!" She yelped, dropping the technology on the floor when it burned her arm. Sophia looked down and winced as a large, red welt began to form on her arm.

The lights flickered, eventually shutting off. "I told you we needed a new breaker..." Sophia began to scold, but stopped when she saw what her parents were staring at.

The small communicator she hated was now vibrating, a strong white light engulfing it and blinding all three momentarily. Sophia buried her face in her mom's shoulder, digging her nails into her father's arm as he stood in front of them. She was suddenly thankful for her father's protection- nothing could hurt them as long as he was there. Nothing.

When it stopped. The blinding light ceased and the lights flickered hesitantly back on. The only sound the family's heavy breathing as their eyes adjusted back. Sophia climbed off her mother's lap, curious to see what the damage was. When she peeked over her father's shoulder, on her tiptoes, she gasped and lost her balance, falling into the small space between their couch and a chair.

But no matter how much she didn't want to hear it, she knew it was coming. The three words that changed her life forever,

"We are back."

* * *

She couldn't help the tears that fell down her cheeks. Or her parent's yells of delight that followed and the hugs and kisses that were exchanged as she sat forgotten. Or the the personal stab of hate that engulfed her when the male's ice-cold blue eyes glared at her with just as much emotion as she was putting out.

And Sophia knew that there was _no_ way that she could _ever_ learn to like these aliens- even for her parents.

And that was final.

_A/N: Hm. Yes. The first meeting... not exactly love at first sight :)_

_I just realized something very important, I have not done a disclaimer for a majority (all) of my story, so here it is._

I, Ella, do not own- nor have I ever own- _Race to Witch Mountain_, the character's, actors, or the original plot. I do however own Sophia and this basic plot, and I would appreciate it greatly if no one would steal or copy them without my consent or approval. Thank you.

_I hate disclaimers... Thank you to my new beta, tomboy2012, for doing a fabulous job! Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys make me smile :D _

_Well, updates will hopefully come more regularly because of summer- but reviews will always help!_

_Happy Summer!_

_~Ella_


	9. Monstrous

Chapter Eight: Monstrous

When the pandemic began, no one quite understood what the disease was. The first victim was a small girl, barely even nine Earth years old, but she was taken before anyone knew what she had been infected with. Soon afterwards, more deaths occurred. Same symptoms as the little girl, only theirs was much more severe.

Their deaths came the first night after diagnosis.

The disease itself was painful, the victim suffering headaches, hallucinations, extremely high fevers, memory loss, sharp pains, eventual blindness and deafness; and in the end, death was welcomed.

Throughout the globe people began dying in startling numbers. Nearly overnight, nearly 10,000 people died; with the numbers only increasing.

Seth's people were in trouble, and every city needed a hero to save the day. So the population turned towards them. The siblings that seemed to carry the entire weight of the world on their slender shoulders. And Seth was more than happy to take the load; agreeing almost instantaneously to the idea once presented to the public. Sara, on the other hand, wasn't so eager.

"Seth, I don't believe this is wise."

"Sara, you know this is best for the planet,"

"But we do not know enough about the condition on Earth—"

"But what if our parents fall ill? There will be no cure and we'll be left like Jack Bruno was when he was young."

Seth's retort struck a chord in Sara. The blonde stiffened underneath his hand, eyes filling with tears as she imagined a life alone. Without the love of he parents. Without their warm and ready embrace after a hard day. Without her mother's ready ears to listen to Sara's petty problems.

Without her family.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, organizing her many, many thoughts. And she realized that though she had discovered the file, and that she didn't want to leave her home... she had always known that she would go back to Earth. There was something about the blue and green planet that fascinated her; and the possibility of seeing Alex and Jack once again also sounded nice.

So it was decided that they would travel back to Earth, send the cure to the waiting scientist, and soon follow it on their way home. But if the two managed to in into Alex and Jack... Well... They certainly weren't opposed to the idea.

"Now remember, nearly eighteen years has passed on Earth. So don't be shocked if Jake and Amex Alex changed a bit." Their mother lectured, looking over her two babies as they ate a traditional breakfast. "And be polite; a please and thank you can get you far."

"Wait, why have eighteen years passed?" Sara interrupted, a spoon halfway to her mouth.

Julia sighed, sitting down at the table with her children tiredly. "Planet Earth and our planet are located in different solar-systems. Our planet moves approximately nine times slower than Earth on its axis around our suns. For example, for very year that passed here, nearly nine passed on Earth." She explained for the third time.

"Oh," Sara whispered, finishing off her bowl. Seth remained silent, simply staring at his plate.

"Is something wrong dear? You've barely touched your breakfast. Would you like me to make you something else?"

"No, Mother. I am fine."

What Seth didn't want them to see were the tears filling in his eyes; him, the one who had wanted to go to Earth in the first place.

'Are you alright?' His sister's voice asked, their mother oblivious due to the fact she possessed the gift of speed rather than telepathy.

In response he gave the smallest of nods- just a small assurance that Seth knew his younger sister needed.

And now they were ready. Sara and him would be leaving in exactly three hours. After days of traveling in a small spaceship, confined to the small quarters their government provided, Seth couldn't wait to stretch his legs and dig his feet into the earth's soil. It was different, softer than his home's. The brown substance not only teeming with life, but it also had a particular smell and texture... Something Seth still couldn't find on Planet X.

"Seth! Have you seen my Medinator? I've looked everywhere and I still can't find it!"

Seth sighed and patiently yelled back to his younger sister. "I believe it is located in the Mess Hall!"

"Thank you!" She responded, the sound of her bare feet hitting the ground fading into the gentle hum of the ship.

Seth got up and began pacing, running his fingers through his hair nervously. "I wonder if they are still the same," he wondered out-loud as his mind wandered to the subject of Alex and Jack. "I wonder what _she_ is like?" he whispered; so softly as if afraid to talk about the girl.

Not that he was afraid, of course.

The eighteen-year old looked out the window. His heart clenching when he saw the small, vulnerable planet of Earth. When suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck rose, a shiver crawling down his back. The blonde took a deep breath to calm down his unsettled nerves.

"Seth! Are you ready to depart?" Seth's head snapped to the now open door, his sister's blue eyes practically shining with excitement. When she noticed that he wasn't responding, her smiled fell.

"Seth, what's wrong?" She whispered, coming into the room, her head cocked to the side in concern.

Seth just turned his hear towards the window, breathing out deeply. "I... Never mind. Please continue packing." He whispered calmly, voice laced with iron, turning back to Sara.

Inside, he was crying as his sister left the room. Inside, he was scared to death; though they had received permission by Jack and Alex, there was still a sense of dread looming over his lean figure. He couldn't shake the feeling of forbid as his sister left the room silently.

He knew he'd hurt her. They used to share everything. And now... Seth couldn't open up to anyone. He couldn't let himself force his problems onto Sara. Then he really would be a monster.

An hour passed quickly, two backpacks now sitting in the hall and two frantic teens running around the small craft; checking every nook and cranny for anything they may have overlooked. Occasionally, one would yell that they found the missing Calibrator or the misplaced hair-tie.

"Seth, are you positive the ship will be alright while we are away?" Sara asked as they began to shut off various machines on the bridge.

"Yes, of course. There is a set course that orbits it around the planet of Mars; specifically designed to hide the ship from Earth's scientists. And if this ship is discovered, it is designed to send an automatic distress signal to our planet, signaling that we may need assistance. There is plenty of fuel in the storage, and everything is charged and ready to be used in an emergency. It is also programmed to beam us aboard at the press of a button," Seth explained, pulling out a small device with various buttons on it, "Giving us just enough time to locate the cure and say our farewells. It also decreases the possibility of Henry or the government managing to capture us."

Sara stayed silent and nodded, biting her lip nervously. Seth moaned silently as another headache began to form.

The two stood in silence as the automatic lights flickered off, engulfing them in darkness. Seth slowly put an arm around his sister, feeling her shaking slightly underneath his hand.

After another moment of silence, he decided to break it. "It is time for us to go," he whispered, leading her to the slightly glowing room- the only one with direct power still connected.

"Of course."

The two stepped onto the floor, one specially designed for large distance traveling. Installed by the government by request. It was slow, but it would get them there somewhat safely.

As the glow engulfed him, Seth managed to sneak one more glance at Sara, who was now rigid and determined. He smiled, something incredibly rare these days, closed his eyes, and allowed the tingling feeling to overwhelm his emotions.

The ride was nice, Seth was calm and emotionless. He literally could not feel anything. But his mind was always either on Sara, or the strange girl he'd never met. That bothered him slightly, but he did not let it get to him- so to speak.

Near the end, he could tell it was near the end because it felt like they had been suspended in air for hours, there was a loud humming that racked his skull painfully.

When the humming stopped, his feet were planted on solid ground.

'Earth.' Sara's voice filled his mind, her tone of excitement bringing a little happiness into his voice when he responded.

"Yes, Sara. We are here.'

When Seth opened his eyes, he was slightly startled to find they were inside Alex and Jack's home. There was a small squeak and a muffled crash and he looked around; blocking out his sister's words.

Suddenly, the eighteen year-old was ambushed by an army of hugs and kisses. Seth welcomed the embraces and returned a few, something nagging his mind.

Seth looked over Jack Bruno's shoulder, and was greeted with a pair of chocolate eyes.

'Their daughter...' He thought to himself. She lay, looking broken and rejected, between the couch and a chair- her eyes smoldering with an emotion Seth was not used to; hate.

Why should she hate him? He has done nothing to her... So why does this girl feel so much negative emotion. Though he did have to admit, the teenager did stir deep feelings inside of him- something he _knew_ was negative. So Seth did the only thing he could think of; he returned the favor.

He glared at the girl with all the emotions he had been harboring for months.

And he knew that there was no way they could _ever_ get along.

* * *

_A/N: I am back! I am SOO sorry about the long wait, I had a two week vacation- and limited wifi. _

_That doesn't roll with Ella. I'll just tell you that right now. _

_So, after piggy-backing of the free (and crappy) McDonald's wifi every time we passed one, I was able to check my email a few times and write a fair amount of reviews. But no update. Sorry!_

_But that dark time is over, and I am back!_

_Not to crazy about this chapter, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say. Feel free to voice you opinion- don't like my portrayal of any of the cannon characters? Please speak up now. Or maybe you just have a few questions, maybe some plot holes. Grammar, spelling; you name it._

_Well, I'm rambling, so I'll wrap it up soon. I promise :D_

_Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, own RtWM, it's characters, or the plot. _

_Special thanks to: Everyone who reviews regularly- xoxoMyRealityIsFiction, Firestar'sniece, tomboy2012 (also my beta, double thanks!), Jade Jordan, Zoe Alice Latimer, Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967, Anonymous reviewers, and all those I may have missed (sorry, I really do love you! And your reviews!)_

_Reviews are greatly appreciated. They give me a rough estimate on how many people are reading and how many actually care. YOUR REVIEW MATTERS. To put it in plain terms._

_Au revoir, mes lecteurs!_

_~Ella_


	10. Embarrassment

Chapter Nine: Embarrassment

Sophia looked the two siblings over, biting her lip as she ate a Rice-Krispy Treat quietly in a corner of the couch.

They were attractive, there was no denying that. Sara had light blonde hair and beautiful, innocent blue eyes. She looked at everything with a hungry curiosity, and seemed the nicer of the two.

Not that she even cared to find out. Of course.

But the boy, Seth, was extremely... good-looking. Not that she would ever admit it in this life. He looked almost... Sculpted. Like, some statue of a Greek God made long ago- except he was real. He had the same light blonde hair as his sister; but his blue eyes were steely and hard, as if he didn't care what was going on nor did he want to be bothered by the trivial facts. And she tried with all her might to snuff any emotion she may start feeling for him; reminding herself that she hated both of them.

They had been sitting in the living room for hours now, her parents and the aliens talking about various things. How each of their lives had been, how their planet was recovering, why they were back, and other topics that Sophia hadn't even bothered to listen to.

"Sophia, sweetie, don't you think you should be going to bed?" Sophia looked up at her mother from under Junkyard, who had long since fallen asleep on top of her.

"I don't know; I'm not tired." She muttered softly, scratching Junkyard and smiling as his leg began to thump. "I don't have a rehearsal tomorrow, and since Will is gone-" She gave her father a pointed look before continuing. "I have nothing better to do."

"Sophia," Alex repeated sternly, her eyes narrowing, "I think you need to go to bed."

Sophia was oddly stunned, her mother had never used that tone on her; ever. In her household, she had always had a choice- but by her mother's voice, she knew there was no choice this time.

She sighed and pushed Junkyard off her, waking the dog who just fell back asleep. "Alright, I suppose I can go to bed. Goodnight," Sophia said, giving her mom a mocking, two fingered salute.

"Sweet dreams, Soph." She smiled and gave her father a kiss on the head.

"And sweeter dreams for you, Dad." Jack chuckled at their ritual and shook his head. Sophia stiffly smiled at the aliens and waved.

"Goodnight, don't stay up too late- wait. Do you even sleep?" She looked at them with curiosity, her head slightly tilted to one side.

"Of course we do," Seth retorted icily, glaring at the brunette. Sophia shrugged it off and left, listening carefully for the whispers to begin as she left.

They did.

Figures.

She jogged up the stairs and continued with her ritual- brushing of the teeth, putting on of the pajamas, taking of the shower, the usual.

The brown-eyed girl was just settling into bed when there was a timid knock at her door. "Come on in!" She said loudly, turning back on her beside lamp.

The door opened to reveal Sara, waving shyly. "Sophia Bruno?"

"Hmm?"

"I would just like to apologize for my brother's behavior. And for us coming here, we understand that you have no reason for us to come; and that you are a bit... Angered at our presence. But we would not be here if it were not an emergency. I promise." Sophia glanced at Sara, her arms crossed and eyes furrowing in thought, lips pursed.

"Alright," She sighed, and decided and she did like Sara enough to be mildly pleasant. "Do you need PJ's? I've got an extra pair that might fit you," She asked, the blonde nodded and smiled, coming timidly into the room.

She glanced at five books that lined her bookshelf. "Are these Jack and Alex's books?"

"Uh-huh. All five of them. I helped write two of them." Sara looked at her curiously.

"If you know our story, then why do you hate us?" Sophia froze, muscles tightening with anxiety.

She chose her words carefully, "I don't hate you," She paused, "Personally. I hate what you do to my parents. Although, your brother and I aren't exactly buddy-buddy..." She muttered into her extra clothes, intentionally hiding her thoughts from Sara.

'Damn,' she remembered suddenly, groaning inwardly. 'She reads minds.'

There was a laugh across the room, which was answered by another groan. "It is alright Sophia Bruno; your thoughts are safe with me."

Sophia, despite herself, smiled slightly as she tossed Sara her bubbles pajama bottoms and a tank-top. "You wanna crash here tonight?" She looked up and saw Sara's slightly confused face and laughed. "Pardon my language; do you want to sleep here tonight? The guest room has a twin bed and frankly, the couch really isn't that comfy."

Sara smiled and nodded eagerly, practically beaming. "Yes, thank you Sophia Bruno!"

"It's Sophia or Soph- please don't use my last name."

The two girls smiled at each other, a friendship forming that would last for the rest of their lives. And as the night moved along, secrets would be shared, stories told, and laughs would erupt. And one opinion would be changed that could alter everything.

* * *

Sophia stuck the spoon in her mouth and glared at the unaware blonde across the table. She grunted and turned away from her mother's warning look, her brown eyes narrowed as she continued to glare- her attention redirected towards the bowl of oatmeal on the table in front of her.

She hated oatmeal.

She snuck another glance at the boy, fresh rage filling her as he sat in her spot on the table.

It all started that morning after waking up from a two-hour night with Sara who honestly wasn't all that bad. She turned out to be really sweet and a great Truth-or-Dare player. Sophia had woken up, later than usual, and made her way towards her bathroom across the hall.

She opened the door to find Seth holding up one of her bras in his hand. "What is this, Sophia Bruno? Some type of," he paused and inspected one of the cups, "Holding device? Because it is highly ineffective if it is, the straps are much too weak to— Sophia Bruno? What is wrong?"

Sophia had grown a strange sort of red color that was a mix between a blush and rage. Her voice came out as a strangled sound, "What are you doing in here?"

"I had to use the facilities and I noticed this strange contraption," he explained calmly, playing with the hooks. "What is it called?"

Sophia quickly snatched it from his hands and threw it into the dirty clothes basket. "It is called a bra, and as for its purpose, ask your sister."

Seth glared at her, his eyes making her shiver slightly. "I was not done with that, Sophia Bruno." He said her name almost mockingly, pausing between her first and last name as if they were two different people.

"Well," Sophia started slowly, as if speaking to a small child, "That is my bra, this is my bathroom, in my house, on my freaking planet! And if I say you cannot examine my bra, then you won't! It's my bra!" She ended up at a mild roar, daring Seth to cross the line she had just created.

"Well, I am not apologetic; but I do suggest that you get a mental health evaluation because you are obviously unstable if you are upset by my examining of your bra."

"It's a freaking BRA! Take that back!"

"No. I stand by what I said."

"Seth whatever your middle and last name is, take that back right now!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No,"

"You bas—" Seth stopped her with a light slap across the cheek, a triumphant, smug look on his face as he did so.

Sophia stopped and touched her cheek, trying to stop the stinging. "You slapped me," She whispered in a dazed voice.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you needed to be slapped."

Sophia made a strangled noise before punching Seth in the nose, ducking quickly as he threw a punch at her. She grabbed his ankle and tripped him, jumping up in triumph as he fell to the bathtub. Seth grabbed her knotted hair in attempt to soften his fall, which caused Sophia to scream in pain and hit her head against the side of the porcelain tub.

"Owww..." Sophia moaned, rubbing her head. She looked down at Seth and hissed, who just laid there with a furious look on his face.

The two stayed there for a moment, each glaring at the other with equal hate. Sophia was sitting on top of Seth, whose head was lying in a puddle of cold water as his legs hung over the side comically.

The door burst open and in came Alex. Sophia groaned and slid down the side of the tub in some attempt to hide from her mother's fury.

Alex, in turn, turned an odd red color she had only see twice in her life: once when she was three and shaved off her Mother's hair, and the other time when she purposely got lost in New York for four days and racked up a bill of $2894.45. Sophia winced before she even heard the yell, "Sophia Sara Bruno!"

And so, she really hated oatmeal.

But, she was lucky enough to give the alien a bloody nose. A true gusher, he still had tampons up his nose.

'Ha.' She thought evilly, stealing another glance at Seth who touched his nose carefully; as if making sure it was still there.

But now, The Alien truly hated her. The emotion seemed to come off in waves from him, hitting Sophia over and over as she glared at her oatmeal.

Why did her mom make this crap? Oh yeah...

Sophia snuck a peak at Sara who was happily eating the stuff. She owed Sara a lot, after The Fight (as it was officially being named) she caught Sara wrestling something from The Alien that suspiciously looked like a taser.

She looked up a saw The Alien looking, so she did what any extremely-angry seventeen year old would do.

She stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes, shoving another spoonful into her mouth.

Seth returned the gesture and copied her motions for the next minute. She glared at him, warning him to stop. By then her nerves were frayed, patience at it's end, and she downright loathed the freaking blonde boy- so she exploded, for the second time that day.

"Mom! Make Alien stop!"

"Mrs. Bruno, please tell Human that she is acting childish and immature."

"Me! Immature! How can Sara even be related to you!"

"I could say the same for you,"

The bickering continued until Sara mentally screamed- pleased to find out Sophia could accept her transmissions and making them both yell in pain, shutting them up quite effectively.

Jack and Alex looked at each other, one look flickered across their faces that conveyed one message.

'It's going to be a long day.'

_A/N: And this was a long wait. Sorry for the wait- life just stacked up against me and I kept putting updating off... Well... Now I have, so it's all better :D_

_I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter, I'd love to hear what you're feeling about it- overall plot and all that stuff. It really helps me :) All mistakes are mine for the bottom 25%... and yeah._

_Well... hope you enjoyed it, I love reviews, and I'll attempt to update a lot sooner than this next time :D_

_(More french! XD) Alors, au revoir mes lecteurs, et j'espère que vous passez en revue :) _

_(If you want to know what it means, just ask me! :D)_

_Thanks!_

_~Ella_


	11. Confusion

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Sophia cleared her throat and looked down at the table, dragging her spoon across the bottom of her bowl, pushing her oatmeal around in an attempt to distract herself.

Seth's nose had finally stopped bleeding, and the bloody tampon had been removed. The only sign that their fight had ever occurred was Sophia's bloody lip, the blood on Seth's cheek, and her mom's glare directed at Sophia every five minutes.

"I've had enough; I'm going to go practice my cello." Sophia sighed, pushing her bowl away and standing up. "And please don't bother me."

Sophia walked down the hall, ignoring her mother's sickly apologetic voice and her father's eyes following her. Why should she care? Those two aliens would be gone within the next week- she had the rest of her life to think about. She was going to college at the end of the year, she would be away from all this madness and she could finally run her life the way _she_ wanted- without the moving, the long nights, and sighs of disapproval from her parents.

She closed the doors to her music room, her emotions running wild as she unzipped her cello case. Sophia needed to get away from it all, she needed to forget and shove her true feelings deeper down. Hide her thoughts and put a smile on until the aliens left and never came back.

After Sophia had finished setting up, she sat down in the only chair and began to warm up- soon slipping into the familiar song of Prelude, all her emotions running free as her fingers moved across the neck of her instrument; the deep notes seemed to express her most sincere regrets and sorrows in life while the lighter, happier notes forced her to smile at the thought of the much more optimistic future laid ahead of her.

A future free of extraterrestrial beings.

Especially cute extraterrestrial beings that made Sophia angry.

Or in other words, Seth.

Sophia was ashamed to say that the boy _did_ intrigue her. Seth was handsome as well as mysterious; and she was drawn like a moth to a flame. Like a moth to freaking flame.

The brunette shook her head, whispering softly to herself, "Play with fire and you'll get burned."

"Not always, kid." A deep voice came from the door. Sophia turned around, her eyes falling on her father's open arms and warm, forgiving eyes. Suddenly, all the emotions that she had been hiding rushed forward. The fear, the anger at herself and her parents, the desperate need for her parents to stay home. Tears began to fill in her eyes- silently falling down her cheeks as she raced into her dad's embrace.

Sophia may have appeared to favor her mother- both had light skin, dark brown hair, and the same figure. But, to anyone who knew the family, it was obvious that the teenager was most like her father. Warm, protective, stubborn, and hotheaded the two were two peas in a pod. Jack Bruno had a way of knowing what his daughter felt, even when she didn't know herself.

Right now Sophia gave the appearance of indifference, anger, and rejection. But on the inside Jack knew she was dying and trying to distract them with acts.

"Daddy, please don't go!" Sophia pleaded, her face buried in her father's strong chest.

Jack gently stroked his only child's hair, wrapping his arms around her. He had never been good at this kind of stuff, and in the beginning, it had been horrid. Girls tended to be much more... emotional than Jack was used to handling. Whenever he had been sad in his youth, his parents had ignored him. He'd found that drugs and alcohol had been a more effective way to deal with his problems short-term... Luckily Sophia was smarter than him.

"Shhh... We'll be all right. It's only going to be for a couple of days, sweetie. I promise; we'll be fine." He comforted softly, his heart breaking as she began to sob.

"Please, I've been quiet for the long trips, for the moves, for everything else- just don't go!"

"I know, baby. I know. You're such a little trooper, your mother and I are so proud. Don't you ever think we aren't," Jack murmured. "And we are beyond proud of everything you've done. I mean," He pulled back to look in his daughter's eyes, "You're beautiful, kind, intelligent, and you made it into Yale!"

Sophia stiffened, her eyes searching her dad's face. "You knew?"

Jack gently smiled, "Of course we did. Do you realize how loud your mom screamed when she saw the letter? I was worried the neighbors would think something was going on over here!"

The brunette let out a shaky laugh, quickly wiping away the tears before hugging her dad again. "I love you,"

"I love you too, Soph."

"I'm sorry for punching Alien in the face,"

Jack laughed, squeezing his daughter and ruffling her hair affectionately. "It's okay, I think you just made your mom real mad. You know how she gets,"

Sophia smiled and giggled, "When momma's mad—"

"—Nobody's happy." He finished, grinning. "Now come on, I'll make some crescent rolls."

The teenager made a face, "You better let me; you burn water."

"Touché, kid. Touché,"

The two began to put away Sophia's music, packing away her cello and stand together; laughing and smiling, trying to savor their moment together without any disturbances.

They began to leave, joking about something on the news, when Sophia noticed the leg disappearing into the wall from behind them. _He was listening..._ She thought silently to herself, a grin beginning to form on her face. "Hey, Alien? I know you're in the wall. I'm feeling generous right now and I just wanted to apologize, okay?"

No reply.

What did she expect? For him to come out with an apology of his own, roses in hand, and kiss her?

Sophia sometimes disgusted herself... But, she _was_ a teenager girl and she liked cute guys.

And Seth was a cute guy.

A very cute guy.

Stupid mind.

But why did she even care? He would be gone in a few days and she'd never see him again. Ever.

She sighed and tossed her dad the rolls from the fridge, trying to ignore the thoughts that began creeping into the back of her head. Focusing on the task at hand: laughing with her dad and Sara (who had popped up once things settled down), and cooking lunch.

But no matter how hard she tried; Sophia could not stop the feelings that were beginning to form for the blond alien who was just in the other room.

Sophia groaned and set down her cup a little too hard on the table- her drink spilling over the lip of the glass and into her lap.

Sometimes life was just way too complicated for her tastes.

* * *

_A/N: Hey..._

_Long time no see... right? :)_

_Yeah, that was a ridiculous waiting time. Almost an entire year! That is insane? Why did I make you guys wait that long? Well... I could explain, but you probably don't want to know, nor do you have the time to hear it all. Point of it all is, I'm here now. You guys are amazing. I could never ask for better fans. And I'm terribly, terribly sorry for making you wait this long. From the very bottom of my heart. Thank you for your prolonged patience and continuous encouragement through PMs and reviews (which I often didn't reply too... ugh. Sometimes I hate myself, you know?)_

_Hope you enjoyed the long overdue chapter, and I'm sorry it's not my best work. Which you guys really do deserve. But, I finished this and I was like "_Hey, I'm going to update this right now!_" So I did. TA-DA!_

_Anyway, thank you once again for your patience- I'm so lucky to have you guys :3 (FLUFFY MOMENT!)_

_Thank you,_

_Reviews are always appreciated,_

_~Ella_

_P.S. Thank you to my beta- Tomboy2012- for reading this when I PMed you out of nowhere. Literally. You're awesome :)_


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